Vertical structural members, often called pilings, can be as any column, pile, bollard, post, buttress, strut, pillar, pole or similar structure that serves as a structural support to elevate a structure, such as a building, dock, bridge, etc. For example, vertical members may be, but are not limited to be, pilings under homes, structures, bridges, docks, piers, bulk heads, water or land based platforms, utility poles, or other similar structures. Over time, vertical structural members can be damaged due to wear and tear from natural and/or man-made forces, such as wave action, acid rain, ultraviolet radiation, vibrations from traffic, corrosion, pest/insect damage, etc. Further, vertical structural members can sustain serious damage due to events that result in strong forces being exerted on the vertical structural member, such as a hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, or an impact from a vehicle, a boat, or an airplane. Vertical structural members that are already installed may be determined to have insufficient length to provide support at a safe height for the structure being supported. For example, due to rising water levels, a length of vertical structural support as designed and built may no longer be sufficient for a structure.
Current solutions for extending the height of vertical structural members and/or for the repair of damaged portions of vertical structural members may not provide sufficient structural stability or may be prohibitively expensive or difficult to execute. Splicing of pilings to extend or repair a piling, where an existing piling and a new piling are notched with matching notches and then fastened together, is generally not an acceptable practice under most building codes, because the splice does not adequately transmit moment loading from the new section of piling to the existing section. Additionally, the connection exposes more surface area of the piling to the atmosphere, which can increase the risk of dry rot and insect damage.
Further, placing of concrete, whether poured or block type construction, on top of the piling to extend the height of the piling or replace a damaged section of piling generally does not provide adequate moment loading as the tensile force on the concrete could exceed that available to the concrete. If steel reinforcement is added to the concrete, the additional concrete required to fully encapsulate the steel reinforcement would create significant additional loading on the piling, reducing the available loading capacity of the piling. Further, joints resulting from block construction can be exposed to weathering, which can create a long term maintenance concern.
Additionally, using helical piling drilling to extend or repair pilings can be costly. Also, while structures can be raised and moved away from the current location such that new pilings can be installed, this option is not available on sites with limited space to store the structure and can be expensive.